Faculty and Staff Members
Below are the faculty members that are instrumental to the Center for Optimal Health Across the Lifespan (COHL):
COHL Director
Jesse Fox, PhD, Associate Professor of Counselor Education
Jesse Fox, PhD, earned his doctorate from the University of Central Florida and spent several years on the faculty at Loyola University Maryland in the Department of Pastoral Counseling before joining Stetson in 2017. He has experience working with a range of clinical populations including college counseling, outpatient addiction treatment, community mental health and private practice. He is a project leader for the Spiritual and Religious Competency Project, a $5.1 million grant funded by the John Templeton Foundation. Since 2020, Professor Fox has served as the Executive Director of the Episcopal Counseling Center, a non-profit counseling center serving the DeLand Community since 1987.
BFA Co-Director
Sarah Garcia, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology
Sarah Garcia, PhD, is a clinical neuropsychologist who studies non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive decline in a variety of medical populations. Her past work has examined cognitive deficits in a wide variety of populations (e.g. heart failure, bariatric surgery candidates, and dementia) as well as the use of exercise, sleep and electrical stimulation as potential preventative and treatment approaches.
BFA Co-Director
Matthew Schrager, PhD, Associate Professor of Health Sciences
Matthew Schrager teaches courses in human anatomy/physiology, the physiology of aging, exercise physiology, biomechanics and research methods. His research focuses primarily on aging, bioenergetics, and functional capacity. He has a secondary research focus on the physiology and biomechanics of mobility and human performance. In his aging research, Professor Schrager analyzes large-scale databases through the National Institute on Aging, and he has published research on blueberries with Stetson students as a potential countermeasure to the functional effects of aging.
COHL Coordinator
Ariel Chivers
Ariel Chivers, a health and wellness expert who has been working with the senior population for 12 years, is the coordinator for the BFA and the Center for Optimal Health Across the Lifespan (COHL). She leads the Brain Fitness Academy sessions with the assistance of three or four undergraduate students who have strong backgrounds in psychology and health sciences-based courses. Chivers is the former associate executive director of the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA.
Care Partner Support Lead
Nicole King
Nicole King is an alumni of Stetson University and graduated with both a bachelors in sociology and a master's in clinical mental health counseling. She is noAriel Chivers, a health-and-wellness expert who has been working with the senior population for 12 years, is the coordinator for the BFA and the Center for Optimal Health Across the Lifespan (COHL). She leads the Brain Fitness Academy sessions with the assistance of three or four undergraduate students who have strong backgrounds in psychology and health sciences-based courses. Chivers is the former associate executive director of the Volusia Flagler Family YMCA. w a registered mental health counseling intern at a local counseling practice and enjoys seeing clients from diverse backgrounds. Her clinical niche is grief and loss, but she also works to advocate for the unhoused and for survivors of domestic violence by working with national organizations that support increased access to care and resources. Facilitating connection is a passion of Nicole's and her work in both developing and running the Care Partner Support Group has been deeply fulfilling.